Auxiliary air-valve



a. LEITHNEB. AUXILIARY AIR VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 51 I9I9- lemma Mm 16 1926 I E g, J

I N V E NTQ R H n/y ZeZZ z/zen ATTORNEYS' UNITED STATES HENRY LEITHNEB, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUXILIARY AIR-VALVE.

Application filed March 5, 1919.

To all w 7mm it may concern e it known that I, HENRY Lni'rHNen, a citizen oi the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary Air- Valves, of which the tollowing is a speciiication.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine ano particularly pertains to an auxiliary air device therefor.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide means whereby a continuous supply of heated air be delivered to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and united with the gaseous fuel passing from the carburetor, thus warming the resultant gas and making it more volatile when ignited.

It is another object of this invention to levise an auxiliary air device which may be eadily used for priming an engine or for delivering suitable vapor to the engine cylinders when carbon is to be destroyed therein.

The invention contemplates the use of a control valve adapted to be actuated from the dashboard of a vehicle and which will regulate the inflow of air to an engine manifold from a flexible air tube, said tube being detachably secured within a heating casing, which casing in turn is secured directly upon the exhaust manifold of the engine.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, illustrating the application of the invention and further disclosing, by dotted lines, the manner in which the engine may be primed or cleaned.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, illustrating the air inlet valve.

3 is a view in central horizontal section through the air inlet valve, connected with the manifold.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates the air valve connected to a controlling lever 11 by a control cable 12 at one end. The control lever is suitably pivoted upon a quadrant 14 of a vehicle. It will be understood that the lever will be adjustably set as desired, in relation to this quadrant. The opposite end of the valve structure 10 is fastened to a flexible metallic Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Serial No. 230,759.

tube 15. his tube is led a casing member 16 whichis iere shown fixed by straps 17 to the exhaust manifold 18 oi the engine 19. The tube 15 extends through the casing member 16 and is there provided with a clamping co-lar 2U. Due to this arrangement, the tale is detachably heid in position through the case and my be readily removed for purposes hereinafter set forth. The case 16 is preferably formed or" some metal having high heat conducting properties such as copper, and will thus cause a radiation of heat so that air passing inwardly through the open end of the tube 15 will be heated as it flows to the valve structure 10.

Reference being had to Fig. 8, it will be noted that the valve structure 10 is formed with a cylindrical and tubular case 21, at one side of which a connecting tube 22 is formed. These two members are preferably cast integrally and communicate with each other through a passageway 23. Tie connecting member is externally threaded and extends through threaded opening in the intake manitohi 24 of the engine. The end of the passageway 23 is closed. However, a plurality of radia. ducts are formed through the side wall of the member 22 near the end of the passageway and thus distribute the inilowing air to the gaseous mixture nowing from the carbureter 26 to the engine 19. Mounted within the tubular casing 21 is a piston valve 27. This valve normally closes the passageway 23 and is held in this closing position by an expansion spring 28. One end or" the expansion spring extends into a counter-bore at the back of the valve member 2'? while the other end rests against a threaded plug 29 mounted within th open end of the casing 21. This plug also forms a connection for the flexible tube 15. The head of the valve member 27 is formed with a plurality of perforations 30, through which air may pass from tube 15 and thereafter flow into the passagewa as the valve member 27 uncovers the inflow end of this passageway. Actuation of the valve is produced by movement of the cable 12 as directly effected by the swinging of the control lever 11.

In operation of the present invention, it will be understood that the valve-structure 10 is mounted in -the manifold, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, and the tube 15 held in place within the casing 16 by means of the clamping collar 20 or some other quickly detachable fastener. WVhen the engine is set in motion, the heat of the exhaust gases will immediately warm the exhaust manifold 18 and will thereafter be absorbed by the casing 16. This gas will be radiated to the metal pipe 15. Due to the fact that this pipe is completely formed of metal, although flexible, it will be readily heated throughout its length and will thus quickly warm the air drawn in through its open end and delivered to the valve casing.

By opening the valve, this air will pass into the manifold and thereafter pass out in small streams into the gas flowing to the engine. In the event that the engine is cold and will not readily start, the flexible tube 15 may be withch'awn from the casing 16 and inserted within a bottle of gasolene. W hen the engine is turned over, this will act to draw gasolene directly into the manifold above the carbureter 26 and thus enrich the mixture so that an explosion will take place within the engine cylinders.

After the engine has been satisfactorily started, the tube 15 may be re-inserted through the casing 16 and there locked. lVhen the engine cylinders have accumulated an objectionable amount of carbon, this may be readily removed by withdrawing the tube 15 from its casing and submerging its open end within a container 31. This container may be filled with benzin, alcohol or some other solution which will readily destroy the carbon within the cylinders as the engine runs.

It will thus be seen that the device here disclosed may be readily converted to meet various requirements of the engine and to designed as to be readily applied to an engine.

Havlng thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattent is- 1. In combination with the exhaust and intake manifolds of an engine, and a can bureter an auxiliary air valve casing connected to the intake manifold, a heat casing borne by the exhaust manifold, a metal tube associated with the heat casing and secured at one end to the valve casing, a hollow slidable valve in the casing having ports in one end, a coil spring in the valve casing extending in the valve interior and disposed between the inner end of the valve and the end of the valve casing adjacent said tube and having its hollow center communicating with the ports and the end of the tube aflixed to the valve casing, and;

slidable means operating in the valve casing and abutting the opposite end of the valve to unseat the latter.

2. In combination with the exhaust and intake manifolds of an engine and a carbureter, an auxiliary air valve casing connected to the intake manifold and having a passageway communicating therewith, a heat casing borne by the exhaust manifold, a metal tube associated with the heat casing and secured at one end to the valve casing, a valve slidable in the casing and having ports, a spring in the valve casing for holding the valve in a positionvto close said passageway, and means to unseat the valve thereby to open said passageway so that the valve ports can communicate therewith.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY LEITHNER. lVitnesses: V

l me. A. lVEGENER, ROBERT E. Ross. 

